Back-up Guns not authorized.

[ETA-3]

We are not authorized to carry a personal back up weapon either and from reading the previous posts, it does not sound like it is all that uncommon for a department to have such a stance.

That's not to say that some guys I work with carry back ups anyway. To each his own.

[pawncop]

We qualify with our back up on yearly basis. When on patrol always carried one inside the vest.

[jwc]

"Life" Insurance

A back-up/secondary weapon is real "life insurance". (The kind that pays your family is really death insurance.) Liability is a four-letter word when it comes to officer safety. And when it comes to carrying off duty I'd rather have the choice to draw my weapon or not. If you're not carrying off duty you don't have much of a choice. Semper Fidelis.

[lazycop]

Well, if you use a backup during an actual incident, that means you needed it. If you needed it, that means you were probably about to die.

It's better to be alive and unemployed in my book.

That

[Cruiser]

Technically back-up weapons were not authorized unless the Chief approved it which was a PITA. Most of the guys went on the don't ask me and I won't lie to you attitude. I carried a stubnosed .38.

[jeeper]

We are allowed to carry one backup weapon. I carry a Glock 26 along with my G17 primary. The backup must be approved and registered the same as your primary. It also must be a Glock (if hired after 1999). If the backup is the same mechanism and manufacturer as your primary, you need not qualify with it. We run our qual course twice, so I shoot it once with my 17 and once with my 26 (from an off duty IWB holster). That way, I have qualified with it and I know I can use it effectively.

A good friend used to work for an idiot of a chief who didn't allow her officers to carry a backup weapon. His way around it...carry 6 knives (2 fixed blades). His rationale was that if you're going to take my gun, I'm gonna cut your damn arm off while you try. That and knives scared the liberal admin ALOT more than the idea of a secondary weapon concealed.

[ARcop]

We are permitted to carry a back up, but you are required to have the weapon approved by the firearms LT as well as the method of carry. After it is approved you are required to shoot the same course of fire with it that you would with your duty weapon from whatever carry method you use. ... Needless to say that shooting a course of fire that was designed for a full size or compact auto with a nine+ round capacity and a duty holster is not exactly easy with a five round snubby in a snapped ankle rig, but it is possible.

+1 Same thing with my Dept.

[P/O CASS]

Well I am glad to hear that I'm not alone. My luck another officer would see my "unauthorized back-up" and turn me in just to get a feather in his/her hat. Heck, were told that we can't carry outside the city limits. Even with his new Bill, the interpretation is all scewed up here. Administation has everyone brain wahsed that we can't carry anywhere but our jurisdiction. I do like the knife story. I'll consider a collection on my duty belt.

[kcolg]

I feel for all of you that 'can not' carry a BUG. About your specific regs, I know 'by law' county officers in my state can 'arrest' anywhere in the state, but 'police' officers can not: it has to be in whatever jurisdiction they're allowed. I'm pretty sure that goes back to the days of why we have 'sheriff's (used them as slave catchers is our history of them).

I think it sucks the department is like that with you guys.

[jakflak]

Well I am glad to hear that I'm not alone. My luck another officer would see my "unauthorized back-up" and turn me in just to get a feather in his/her hat. Heck, were told that we can't carry outside the city limits. Even with his new Bill, the interpretation is all scewed up here. Administation has everyone brain wahsed that we can't carry anywhere but our jurisdiction. I do like the knife story. I'll consider a collection on my duty belt.

Keep in mind, if you carry outside your jurisdiction, it will be the jurisdiction you're in who's deciding whether or not you should be carrying, and they're bound by HR218. It really doesn't matter what your department thinks, assuming they don't find out and bust you for violating policy. However, you can't be busted for breaking the law under HR 218.

[Chief Wiggum]

Carry a BUG any way. If you ever need it they can fire you if you live.

[1sgkelly]

What? Do you guys want to handicap the bad guys or what?